Stafford School Board To Study Space Needs

September 28, 1996|By DON STACOM; Courant Correspondent

STAFFORD — A school board member's mere mention of the possibility of closing a school drew wrath from several parents this month, but the administration isn't going to rule out the idea before a full study.

That same study could result in other recommendations -- such as expanding Stafford High School, said Superintendent George Apuzzi.

``We really need to assess our facilities, to look at them in conjunction with our enrollment projections,'' Apuzzi said.

In a letter to his colleagues earlier this month, board member Russ Vibberts Jr. recommended that the full board consider a variety of possible ways to save money.

Offering an early retirement incentive to top-paid veteran teachers, employing just one principal to cover three elementary schools, or perhaps closing either the Borough or Witt schools, were among the possibilities he suggested studying.

But several parents wrote letters of complaint about the option of closing a school, and at a board meeting early this week Vibberts emphasized that he'd only put forward a possibility to consider -- not a proposed plan of action.

Apuzzi said Thursday that the board will need to review the school system's space needs along with its curriculum changes and enrollment projections.

``We're really at a crunch period at the high school, so we've got to look at our facilities and our program needs. For instance at the high school we lost two classrooms to computer labs. Ten years ago those labs didn't exist. What was adequate space back then may not be today.''

Board member Lisa Bradway agreed that all building issues should be considered, not just the question of closing a school.

``Nothing should be done in isolation; everything needs a very thorough assessment. And there's absolutely no plan to do anything with the schools right now.

``We know we're running out of room at the high school, and when we look at that it could have impact in terms of other grades,'' she said.

Apuzzi said the administration should have long-range enrollment projections available for the board to review this fall.